Gyuto (Chef Knife)
The Gyuto, or Japanese chef knife, is widely considered the most versatile Japanese kitchen knife for chefs & home cooks alike.
With a variety of sizes & shapes available, the Gyuto is similar to western style chef knives in shape, however (generally) thinner, lighter, made of harder steel & retains a sharper edge. If you are looking for just 1 good knife, the Gyuto (or the smaller Santoku) would absolutely be the Japanese knife to choose.